Solved! HP Notebook 15-bs051od vs HP Pavilion 14-bk091st

dhman06

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Nov 24, 2017
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I'm trying to buy a new laptop, but can't decide between a regular HP Notebook (15-bs191od) and a HP Pavilion series laptop (14-bk091st). In terms of performance the 15-bs laptop seems to have the edge with 8th gen i5, but the Pavilion series has more features and more of a premium feel to it than the plastic cased 15-bs191od laptop. Which one should I be buying if I'm planning on keeping the laptop for 4-5 years?

Links for both:

https://www.staples.com/office/supplies/StaplesProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogIdentifier=2&partNumber=2802787&langid=-1&cmArea=CIRCULAR

https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/840991/HP-15-bs191od-Laptop-156-Screen/
 
Solution
Yes, the 15 incher's CPU is a quad core and more powerful than the dual core CPU in the Pavilion. I suppose it may depend on your general usage whether that extra oomph is needed or not. As I personally don't do anything "serious" on any of MY laptops, between the two, I'd choose the one that feels the sturdiest, as I think it may be overly optimistic to hope that a relatively inexpensive HP laptop will last 4-5 years (unless it pretty much stays in the house and isn't transported hither and yon on a regular basis).
Yes, the 15 incher's CPU is a quad core and more powerful than the dual core CPU in the Pavilion. I suppose it may depend on your general usage whether that extra oomph is needed or not. As I personally don't do anything "serious" on any of MY laptops, between the two, I'd choose the one that feels the sturdiest, as I think it may be overly optimistic to hope that a relatively inexpensive HP laptop will last 4-5 years (unless it pretty much stays in the house and isn't transported hither and yon on a regular basis).
 
Solution

dhman06

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Nov 24, 2017
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Thank you for your input. I definitely agree with you that the 8th gen has more power to it than the 7th gen i5. I usually am not doing anything hardcore other than usual browsing, checking email, and every now and then using excel to get some work done if my work laptop gets left behind at work. That being said, I tend to have a lot of tabs open (15-25) on my google chrome and I was wondering if that would be too much to handle for the 7th gen i5 down the road.

I had been using an Envy with a 5th gen i5 which was doing the job just fine, but after 4 years I thought it was time to upgrade that machine. The pavilion definitely has more features (has some of the features that the envy has) and is a full metal finish whereas the 15series feels more plasticy. However, based on some of the benchmark tests that I have run on both machines the 15series seems to have 10-15% better overall performance which is making it a little difficult for me to decide.
 


I purchased an HP Star Wars Edition 15" Pavilion about a year ago because I was looking for an inexpensive second laptop to use on the coffee table. It has an i5-6200u processor and full HD screen and backlit keyboard. I routinely have between 10-15 tabs open in Chrome, and it has never given me any problems or major slow-downs, so I'm thinking you should be okay with either the 7 or 8 series processor with even more tabs open. The only thing I question about my HP is the sturdiness (or lack thereof) of the build. Compared to the laptop in my sig, it feels downright fragile. But perhaps that's how most sub $500 laptops feel these days.

I take it that you realize that neither of the laptops you're considering have a full HD display, right?

 

dhman06

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Nov 24, 2017
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Yes, I'm aware of that, but I think that's how most sub $500 laptops are anyway. Since my Envy is full HD, I'm not worried about that. But given how the Pavilion has more features and better built (feels sturdier) compared to the 15 series (which has basically a piece of plastic cover underneath) I think I'm going keep the i7 machine. Thank you for your help. Much appreciated!
 


Keeping the i7 machine? Where did an i7 enter the picture?

You're welcome for the help (for what little help it probably was). Hopefully someone else will still chime in. :D